WEF WATER LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
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Hello. My name is Nadine Robertson. I am a Wastewater Treatment Operator for Veolia North America which oversees the day to day operations for the City of Kenner. I have been serving in the operator capacity for one year now.
I first encountered the Water Environment Federation last year at WEFTEC 2018 as an Emerging Water Quality Scholars Recipient in partnership with WEF and Americorps Limitless Vistas (LVI).
Attending WEFTEC 2018 afforded me the opportunity to network, learn, and see just how vast the water industry spectrum is. I was fortunate to learn about the Water Leadership Institute program via discussions held at WEFTEC 2018.
The Water Leadership Institute program is aimed at educating, training, and providing opportunities that enable developing and emerging leaders to build strong lasting relationships within the water industry.
This intensive program allows participants the opportunity to engage in management training and leadership development through a blended learning approach that includes the examination of complex challenges facing the water and wastewater industries and networking with public and private sector practitioners. Participants will build skills and knowledge needed to affect change within their organizations.
You can learn more about WEF's Water Leadership Institute by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqDnAgyTSL4
I am (1 of 52) emerging and professional water industry constituents selected from around the country. To be selected is a competitive process and is essentially a life changing opportunity!
However, I am currently seeking support to offset the cost associated with both the tuition ($1,200), flights ($800), and hotel stays ($1,000) to partake in WLI19 (Alexandria, Virgina) as well as attend WEFTEC 2019 in (Chicago, Illinois) where WLI19 cohort will present our final research presentations.
I hope that I can garner your support in helping me attend this wonderful opportunity to engage with fellow water professionals and offer insight as a female minority operator. I hope to strengthen my leadership skills, form connections, and be able to take many of the lessons learned from the WLI19 cohort to share or implement at my facility.
With your support, you can help ensure I am afforded the opportunity to be a change agent and add a voice of diversity to the water industry!
Thank You for your time and support,
-Nadine Robertson
UPDATE:
Thank You to everyone who shared and donated to my GoFundMe! A special thank you to the Water Environment Federation (WEF) for awarding me a $500 scholarship to utilize towards the WLI19 tuition. I would also like to send a huge thank you to Mr. Drew Lehman who sponsored my round-trip flight to Alexandria, donated towards my GoFundMe goal, as well as suggested hotel accommodations, and provided other insights to ensure my experience to Alexandria would be stress-free. I can not thank you enough WEF and Mr. Drew! Well, with the help of everyone my goal of participating in the Water Leadership Institute 2019 became a reality!!
My trip to Alexandria, Virginia was very exciting! I must admit, linking up with my fellow WLI19 cohort definitely made a memorable 3 days! On day 1 and day 2 our WLI19 training sessions were jam packed with awesome speakers (Eileen O'Neill, Tom Kunetz, Elisabetta Natale, BJ Peterson, Karen Pallansch, Michael Brainard, and Mustaafa Dozier) who spoke about overcoming the fear of public speaking, effective leadership traits, various personality types, unconscious bias, and communication skills, which included interactive activities, and plenty of time to successfully mingle among each other.
After our training sessions each day we united for happy hour, another opportunity to chat and learn more about each other. A large group of us organized a day to tour the capitol. It was during this time I was able to connect and learn even more about my fellow cohort members. At dinner we discussed how we got our start within the water industry, shared lots of laughs, discussed water industry issues, future career goals, facility shortcomings, and offered encouraging words, and advice to overcome overlapping challenges both personally and professionally. I truly gained a bunch of new friends over the course of three days in Alexandria!
On day 3, we concluded our experience with a tour of the Alexandria Renew facility. We were guided by two operators who had completed an apprenticeship program a few years ago, and I must say that I was happy to see diversity. The operators were very knowledgeable about their plant processes, SCADA system, and Alexandria Renew company values. We were able to tour the operations control room and I was able to learn about the chain and flight sludge collection mechanism.
Due to having a later flight on the last day. I managed to visit a few significant museums like The National Geographic (Queens of Egypt Exhibition) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And of course pay a visit to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial before heading to Reagan International Airport for departure back to New Orleans.
My experience with WLI19 has been a wonderful experience and is a life changing opportunity. Each week I look forward to our WLI19 group web chats with Julianne. Each week the topics are interesting and applicable. This week we are discussing and setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. My WLI19 group members shared plans of action to help me achieve my set goals within the next 6 months. Its this network of support and vast knowledge that I admire. My WLI19 cohort members have become new lifelong friends and I am forever grateful to WEF for welcoming me to this extended family!
I would like to share this quote which I learned during my stay in Alexandria.
"Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world."
-Nelson Mandela
I am currently seeking support to fulfill my final goal in this two step process. To attend WEFTEC 2019 in Chicago where WLI19 cohort will present our final group research projects. I will be accepting donations through September to offset the cost associated with flight ($400) and hotel accommodations ($800). Thank You for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you all at WEFTEC!
Best,
Nadine Robertson
I first encountered the Water Environment Federation last year at WEFTEC 2018 as an Emerging Water Quality Scholars Recipient in partnership with WEF and Americorps Limitless Vistas (LVI).
Attending WEFTEC 2018 afforded me the opportunity to network, learn, and see just how vast the water industry spectrum is. I was fortunate to learn about the Water Leadership Institute program via discussions held at WEFTEC 2018.
The Water Leadership Institute program is aimed at educating, training, and providing opportunities that enable developing and emerging leaders to build strong lasting relationships within the water industry.
This intensive program allows participants the opportunity to engage in management training and leadership development through a blended learning approach that includes the examination of complex challenges facing the water and wastewater industries and networking with public and private sector practitioners. Participants will build skills and knowledge needed to affect change within their organizations.
You can learn more about WEF's Water Leadership Institute by watching the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqDnAgyTSL4
I am (1 of 52) emerging and professional water industry constituents selected from around the country. To be selected is a competitive process and is essentially a life changing opportunity!
However, I am currently seeking support to offset the cost associated with both the tuition ($1,200), flights ($800), and hotel stays ($1,000) to partake in WLI19 (Alexandria, Virgina) as well as attend WEFTEC 2019 in (Chicago, Illinois) where WLI19 cohort will present our final research presentations.
I hope that I can garner your support in helping me attend this wonderful opportunity to engage with fellow water professionals and offer insight as a female minority operator. I hope to strengthen my leadership skills, form connections, and be able to take many of the lessons learned from the WLI19 cohort to share or implement at my facility.
With your support, you can help ensure I am afforded the opportunity to be a change agent and add a voice of diversity to the water industry!
Thank You for your time and support,
-Nadine Robertson
UPDATE:
Thank You to everyone who shared and donated to my GoFundMe! A special thank you to the Water Environment Federation (WEF) for awarding me a $500 scholarship to utilize towards the WLI19 tuition. I would also like to send a huge thank you to Mr. Drew Lehman who sponsored my round-trip flight to Alexandria, donated towards my GoFundMe goal, as well as suggested hotel accommodations, and provided other insights to ensure my experience to Alexandria would be stress-free. I can not thank you enough WEF and Mr. Drew! Well, with the help of everyone my goal of participating in the Water Leadership Institute 2019 became a reality!!
My trip to Alexandria, Virginia was very exciting! I must admit, linking up with my fellow WLI19 cohort definitely made a memorable 3 days! On day 1 and day 2 our WLI19 training sessions were jam packed with awesome speakers (Eileen O'Neill, Tom Kunetz, Elisabetta Natale, BJ Peterson, Karen Pallansch, Michael Brainard, and Mustaafa Dozier) who spoke about overcoming the fear of public speaking, effective leadership traits, various personality types, unconscious bias, and communication skills, which included interactive activities, and plenty of time to successfully mingle among each other.
After our training sessions each day we united for happy hour, another opportunity to chat and learn more about each other. A large group of us organized a day to tour the capitol. It was during this time I was able to connect and learn even more about my fellow cohort members. At dinner we discussed how we got our start within the water industry, shared lots of laughs, discussed water industry issues, future career goals, facility shortcomings, and offered encouraging words, and advice to overcome overlapping challenges both personally and professionally. I truly gained a bunch of new friends over the course of three days in Alexandria!
On day 3, we concluded our experience with a tour of the Alexandria Renew facility. We were guided by two operators who had completed an apprenticeship program a few years ago, and I must say that I was happy to see diversity. The operators were very knowledgeable about their plant processes, SCADA system, and Alexandria Renew company values. We were able to tour the operations control room and I was able to learn about the chain and flight sludge collection mechanism.
Due to having a later flight on the last day. I managed to visit a few significant museums like The National Geographic (Queens of Egypt Exhibition) and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. And of course pay a visit to the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial before heading to Reagan International Airport for departure back to New Orleans.
My experience with WLI19 has been a wonderful experience and is a life changing opportunity. Each week I look forward to our WLI19 group web chats with Julianne. Each week the topics are interesting and applicable. This week we are discussing and setting S.M.A.R.T. goals. My WLI19 group members shared plans of action to help me achieve my set goals within the next 6 months. Its this network of support and vast knowledge that I admire. My WLI19 cohort members have become new lifelong friends and I am forever grateful to WEF for welcoming me to this extended family!
I would like to share this quote which I learned during my stay in Alexandria.
"Action without vision is only passing time, vision without action is merely day dreaming, but vision with action can change the world."
-Nelson Mandela
I am currently seeking support to fulfill my final goal in this two step process. To attend WEFTEC 2019 in Chicago where WLI19 cohort will present our final group research projects. I will be accepting donations through September to offset the cost associated with flight ($400) and hotel accommodations ($800). Thank You for your continued support and I look forward to seeing you all at WEFTEC!
Best,
Nadine Robertson
Organiser
Nadine Djnola Robertson
Organiser
Harvey, LA
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